Readers are being urged to get their running shoes on to raise much-needed funds for the ECHO's children's charity.

If you fancy taking part in the first Wirral Half Marathon, then why not run in aid of Liverpool Unites?

We desperately need your help to raise £500,000 for the play areas of the new Alder Hey in the Park, which is due to open in 2015.

Perhaps you're a seasoned runner, or you have ran a couple of 10Ks and want to push yourself further.

With just over 13 weeks to go until the race, now is an ideal time to sign up and start training!

This pleasant, flat race is also an ideal stepping stone if you plan to eventually take on the challenge of running a full marathon.

And if you don't feel ready to run the whole 13.1 miles yet, you can take part in the Wirral 10K which is taking place at the same time on Sunday, October 13.

All runners start off together from Birkenhead Park. The 10K will finish on Coastal Drive in New Brighton while the half marathon runners will continue along the Coastal Walk promenade before returning to pass the Derby Pool and a loop on King’s Parade.

The Liverpool Marathon used to take part on the same date but had to be cancelled and so now the Wirral Half Marathon and Wirral 10K will now take its place.

A new Liverpool marathon now looks set to take place in spring next year.

You can easily set up an online fundraising page at www.sponsorme.co.uk to share with your friends and family.

We can also send you sponsorship forms to collect money offline.

Please note that the BTR office is currently closed after midday each day until Friday whilst the Tour Of Merseyside events are on. The office will be open from 9am until midday on each of these days. Emails will be picked up as normal during this time.